Blog Archive

Here is another example of a ‘primitive diet’ doing what modern medicine can not. Dr. Terry Wahls learned how to properly fuel her body. Using the lessons she learned at the subcellular level, she used diet to cure her MS and get out of her wheelchair. She makes some great recommendations for healthy eating towards the end. Check it out.

Today’s Skill/Strength Element:

10 x 10 Overhead Squat

Today’s Workout:

21,15,9
Burpees
Pullups

A

One of the things I’ve learned at CrossFit Vancouver is the importance of nicknames. I have a few of them. I resisted a couple of my nicknames (Eunice, Hulkamania, Babe Ruth) for a while. But I soon discovered that I would be better off just accepting the names, however unflattering they might have seemed when they were first muttered aloud to my face. In fact, once I accepted, and even embraced the nicknames, I started to feel loved (even if I had been named after a fat baseball player and a male WWE star from the 1990s). I mean, five nicknames? How can I not feel loved?

A couple weeks ago, I realized that so much of the nicknaming process depends on how the person interprets the name. On New Year’s Eve, I handed out a nickname to Jen Farr. The name: ‘SPCA,’ which has now become ‘The Pound Pup.’

“You’re like an innocent little puppy looking for a home,” I said. Her response was, “Oh my God, that’s so mean. You’re calling me desperate and pathetic.” (Interesting how I chose the word ‘innocent,’ but what she heard was ‘desperate’ and ‘pathetic.’ I knew at that moment that the nickname would stick).

At CrossFit Van, nicknames are so prolific that sometimes months go by before you learn someone’s real name.
And behind each name is a good story.

Here are a few of them:

Shelley ‘Cabbage Patch Cree.’

In Shelley’s words: “At B and Mikes wedding, I was sitting in front of Patty and Pup. Patty was looking at me muttering, “Shelley needs a nickname. What does Shelley look like? She looks like a CABBAGE PATCH!.” Then pup leans over and whispers “Cabbage Patch CREE.” And that was that.”

(Shelley’s background is Cree/Metis. She didn’t get electricity until she was 14. “That summer, we made a lot of toast,” said Shelley).

Kelly ‘Dashound’

In Kelly’s words: “Does mine really need any explanation? Long torso, short legs, otherwise known as a Ratcatcher!”

Sebastian ‘Dexter’

During his personal training, Sebastian was quiet and reserved. All I really knew about him was that he did the Grouse Grind 14 times in one day (he still holds the record for the most Grouse Grinds in one day). I couldn’t help but think that a guy who does the Grouse Grind 14 times in one day must be slightly pathologically crazy. Maybe he even has a secret life as a serial killer. He has become commonly known as Dexter.

Dan ‘The Afghan’

In Dan’s own words: “Afghan: For my likeness to the Afghanny opium farmer. And, because Patty is a racist,” he joked.

Jesse ‘The Jew’

Jesse in a skinnier time.

In Jesse’s own words: “The Jew: Because I am a Jew. Not Patty’s most creative piece.”

Saturday:

Tech: Deadlift (3, 3, 3, 3, 3)

WOD: Box Jumping Sasquatch

21, 18, 15, 12, 9, 6, 3

SDHP (75/55)
Box Jumps

Sunday:

Make up Day

If you haven’t done the 10 by 10 OHS yet this week, make this a priority.

– Eunice

Crossfit Vancouver – School of Fitness

Our goal is to professionalize the fitness industry.

Our mandate is threefold:

1) Get students fitter than they have ever been and stay that way for the rest of their lives

2) Train apprentice coaches and business owners to become excellent at their profession

3) Reduce coach burnout and increase revenue per hour worked so that fitness trainers can have a lifelong career, own homes and raise families while providing continuity  in the fitness industry.

We have collected data from our own affiliate since 2004, and from the hundreds we have consulted to over the past 5 years.  Together with all this data and from sharing information from many of the other top affiliates in the world we are developing a clearer picture of what works in a Crossfit box and what doesn’t.  Best practices are shaking out of our success and our affiliate partners success.

From this data we have developed systems and software to produce increased revenue and lower coach burnout for Crossfit Affiliates, thus providing a platform to professionalize the fitness industry and make a difference in our communities as a whole.

No “one size fits all” for  Crossfit Affiliates, our systems are ever evolving in a quest for excellence that is dependant on various factor many of which include:

What each Crossfit owner wants for his/her life, market factors, ambition and talent.

Having said that; the success of a Crossfit affiliate, no matter how big or small, new or established will eventually depend upon the systems and best practices that are employed in each section of the following chart.

Using this template as our guide we can begin to ask questions, then through trial and error and data tracking we can uncover what works best on all aspects of the business.

For example what happens to referrals and retention when we pay our coaches/apprentices by the head (ie pay by how many people attend a class, $5 a head and 10 show up the trainer makes $50 for that class).  Within months we found that referrals decreased and retention more or less was unchanged from baseline.  Why?

We can never say for sure, but we suspect that rewarding trainers to compete internally among each other for the existing clients instead of going out in the world to find new clients to get fit is rather obvious after we looked at the data. The same goes for paying trainers by the hour; it leads to rather diminished retention and referral numbers, not to mention coach and management burnout.

So what works?  We have learned over the years that incentivizing coaches and apprentices to accomplish goals that are directly inline with getting more students in the gym, keeping them longer and keeping them fit is a win win for everyone.

Furthermore having the free market play its role in deciding who is successful and who is not virtually erases micro management and gym owner head aches.

There are lots of ways to do this.

Our current business model inside Crossfit Vancouver looks similar to that of an engineering or law firm. Our ultimate vision is to have a team of 20, 30, or 40 business partners, where the senior coaches earn their way to become shareholders in the company. They earn respectable livings, have the ability to buy houses and raise families while working in the fitness industry. Eventually they can pass on both their knowledge and their shares to the next generation. Their retirement leaves a lasting legacy and creates true stability in the fitness industry.

Our hope is that we can be a mentor and role model to other Crossfit Affiliates in their quest for excellence.

Today, we are already well on our way. We have over 500 students, 25 apprentice coaches and 7 full time instructor coaches.   Currently, our top coaches make more then $80,000 a year, work less than 35 hours per week and get 4 weeks of paid (half pay) vacation per year.

Our school’s programs are not just about learning the movements. CrossFit headquarters are the experts in teaching people how to become better CrossFitters.

We’re here to teach you the business of CrossFit. You will learn systems, sales, and marketing that will grow your business naturally and normally so as to avoid coach burnout and affiliate owner stress.  Our diploma programs will help you become a successful coach and CrossFit affiliate owner, whether you’re a one man show, or you want a team of 50.

For more details about how CrossFit Vancouver came about, here’s founder Craig Patterson speaking at FilFest:

You need a Crossfit Journal link to access…Buy it, it is worth every penny!

http://journal.crossfit.com/2008/12/being-a-successful-affiliate.tpl

What the Crossfit Journal had to say about our school

The future of Crossfit and the School of fitness?

Our programs are constantly evolving. The data we continuously accumulate from both own experiences and from the experiences of affiliate owners around the world is constantly used to shape our coaching and executive diploma programs, with the ultimate goal being to help as many people as possible become both more fit and achieve more business success in the fitness industry.

PCTIA certificate

Business License

Great read: Native Family Turns to Its Roots to Combat Poor Health and Food Addiction

Friday’s WOD:

TECH: Hang Power Cleans (3, 3, 3, 3, 3). Really work on that second pull. Find a hang power clean 3 rep. max.

WOD: Team Fran-Grace-Elizabeth

Teams of two. One person working at a time. Break it up however you like:

Fran (21, 15, 9 Thrusters and Pull ups – 95/65)
THEN
Grace (30 Clean and Jerks – 135/95)
THEN
Elizabeth (21, 15, 9 Power Cleans and Ring Dips – 135/95)

– Eunice subbing in for a Pig out surfing

Maximum Adaption Through Maximum Recovery
by Andrew “Snake Oil” Munaweera

Don’t rip yourself off–make sure you’re fully adapted and recovered before showing up to your next CrossFit workout. How? Get plenty of rest, eat Paleo and strategically supplement with MightyOmega fish oil.

If you’re a true CrossFitter, you’ll know that the Paleo Diet is the optimal eating program for CrossFit athletes. But less well known is that MightyOmega is the optimal omega-3 supplement for CrossFit athletes. Why?

Let me count the ways:
1. A low heat extraction process using only gentle, eco-friendly carbon dioxide and no harsh solvents like hexane or ethanol. This cutting-edege process is called SuperCritical Extraction
2. A 6.5 to 1 ratio of EPA to DHA to resolve, not inhibit, healthy inflammation. This ratio is called the Functional Omega ratio.
3. No potentially allergenic enteric coatings
4. Easy-to-swallow 800mg capsules
5. Concentrated so results happen at 2 – 4 caps daily
6. Undetectable levels of heavy metals and organic pollutants
7. Use of small fish like sardines and anchovies for sustainability and purity (larger fish accumulate more toxins and metals in their fatty tissues)

Yes, what I’m suggesting here is to dump your generic fish oil for MightyOmega–just like you dumped your generic fitness program for CrossFit and your generic eating program for Paleo (if you haven’t switched over to Paelo yet, give it a try soon–you’ll be delighted with the results).

So, find your current fish oil supplement, grab it and run straigh to the garbage can. Seriously though, the longer you take a conventional omega-3 supplement, the longer you’re going to have to wait to experience cutting-edge omega results. So, grab a bottle of MightyOmega the next time you’re at CrossFit Van–just ask one of the Coaches or come into Training Fx.

Take my advice, and you’ll see these results:
● Less muscle soreness
● Greater range of motion in your joints
● More energy
● Better mood
● Better memory

And, as an added benefit, other powerful changes will also happen:
● Your good cholesterol levels, called HDL, will increase
● Your blood fats, called triglycerides, will decrease
● Your blood will become less sticky and flow better
● Cell membranes will become more fluid and flexible
● Hormones will work more efficiently because of these more flexible cell membranes
● Genetic expression will shift towards health and away from disease

CrossFit workouts challenge your body to adapt. This adaptation process is an ancient one and involves a process called inflammation. When properly supported with rest and nutrition, this “healthy” inflammatory process creates not only greater health, but also adaptation (stronger muscles, tendons and ligaments). Eating Paleo and using the biologically active, undamaged omega-3 fatty acids of EPA and DHA in a 6.5 : 1 ratio is the best way to support this “healthy” inflammatory process to completion. Then, you’ll show up at your next workout fully recovered, adapted and ready to engage.

If you have questions or comments, you can come see me at Training Fx or shoot me an e-mail at [email protected]

Thursday’s lesson Plan:

Warm Up: 6 double wall balls, run 2 laps, x 5

Tech: 10 x 10 Over head Squats

Wod: 350m, row 20 burpees, 350m row

and old Tbear classic

patty

Crossfit Vancouver will soon offer a new running program called Project Endurance.
The Project will kick off with a 2.5 hour ‘Running As A Skill’ workshop on Saturday January the 28th @ 1pm (mark the date), and will provide 10 weeks of run specific programming and support, designed to be supplemented with 3 CVF group classes a week to help prepare our athletes for events like

My First Trail Race April 1st

The Sun Run April 15th

Tough Mudder June 23rd

More details (cost, etc) to follow.
Please post interest to comments.

Two of Crossfit Vancouver’s finest!!!

Jordy “rails” Guindon has been a student at Crossfit Vancouver for well over a year and will be entering the formal Junior apprenticeship this spring, training under the esteemed Charlie Fu*kin Palmer. He has come a long way. No longer does he scream cuss and spit when things don’t go his way, in fact he is pretty much a model student these days. Calm Shirtless and Cool, rails is on his way up in life. Give him some love next time you see him in the School.

Ben “Bumpy” Poss has been Rail’s lead dog at the school. Ben is about to graduate to the senior apprenticeship program. Ben is a great coach, a fearless defender of the faith and just a plain Bad Dude all around. He is nick named after the infamous Ellsworth Raymond “Bumpy” Johnson who was an original African American Mob Boss from Harlem in the early 20th century.

Read the wikipedia post about the original and just substitute “white” for “normal” for Ben

Every Tuesday is a test day at Cf Vancouver. The WOD is chosen from one of the Mad Lab fitness ratings which are also on the main leader board at the school.

Tuesday’s lesson Plan:

Warm Up: 1 mile snow run (CFV prepares you for real life)

Tech: Shoulder press 30 reps of 115/55 lbs (scale if you can’t do 6 in a row…don’t burn out)

WOD: NUTTS

10 Handstand push-ups
250 pound Deadlift, 15 reps
25 Box jumps, 30 inch box
50 Pull-ups
100 Wallball shots, 20 pounds, 10′
200 Double-unders
Run 400 meters with a 45lb plate

Pink Pig

Guys and Gals it is time for us to work on a a specific skill/strength as a group over an extended period of time again. The past 2 years we did widow makers (20 reps of back squat) and 10 x 10 of over head squats.

Both were a huge success. This time around we are going to focus on squat mechanics for 3 weeks by doing the same 10 sets of 10 reps of Overhead squats twice a week for 3 weeks.

We did this one over a year ago and it really shows who did it versus the newbies. A few months ago during an OHS tech session I tried to walk to the bathroom and nearly didn’t make it for having to stop and correct the awful form all around. Tons of knee leading pile of rubbish squats.

Trust the Pink Pig, you need this training in order to become a better person.

Then: We are going to do seven weeks, twice a week of 5 sets of 5 reps of Back squats and shoulder press.

For Monday I want you starting the process with a weight that you can confidently handle 100 reps of. We want the form to be spotless.

Here is a short video…..BTW if any one is talking with Kristina…..tell her we will be ready for her when she is ready to be strong again. We miss you Kid!

If anyone see’s the Monkey Brothers………..check their baggage!

Monday’s lesson Plan:

Warm Up: OHS Dowel Work

Tech: 10 x 10 OHS

WOD: 8 minutes of Cindy

5 pullups, 10 pushups, 15 squats

Rounds in 8 Minutes

Patty Loves yas

Today is your last chance to join Team Paleo Challenege 2012!

If you want to get pinched come between 4-6pm today! We have  one team that NEEDS a 3rd! Make it be you!!!!

Dashie

I found this little piece and thought it may be valuable to some, try it on to determine for yourselves. I hope you can benefit from this technique!

To become proficient in the use of imagery you have to use it ever day: on your way to training, during training and after training. In every training session, before you execute any skill or combination of skills, first do it in imagery. See, feel, and experience yourself moving through the actions in your mind, as you would like them actually to unfold. In the competitive situation, use imagery before the start of the event and see yourself performing successfully/winning.

Golfer Jack Nicklaus used mental imagery for every shot. In describing how he imagines his performance, he wrote:

“I never hit a shot even in practice without having a sharp in-focus picture of it in my head. It’s like a color movie. First, I “see” the ball where I want it to finish, nice and white and sitting up high on the bright green grass. Then the scene quickly changes, and I “see” the ball going there: its path, trajectory, and shape, even its behavior on landing. Then there’s a sort of fade-out, and the next scene shows me making the kind of swing that will turn the previous images into reality and only at the end of this short private Hollywood spectacular do I select a club and step up to the ball.”

Weekend Double Post]

Saturday
Warm up/review:behind the neck split jerk

Here’s a video of Coach Burgener pointing out some key elements of the split jerk

Tech: Behind the neck split jerk/weighted pull up
one of each (1,1,1,1,1,1,1)

workout: 2000m row
(get it done during the class when rowers are available, set rower at 2k count down for time)

Row Time to Leader Board

Sunday Mystery WOD ???

CFP